Thank-you for all your help re: bolshy pup. Everything fine now. Wondered if you could help me with another problem. I have two adult girls (Tibetan Terriers) and puppy to one of them. The other girl, not mum, came to me around a year ago. She had problems of acute submission (only way I can explain it) ducking when you put your hand down to stroke her and showing her teeth in what I can only guess is fear!! I have gradually reduced that with a lot of love and patience and assurance that all is well here for her and noone will ever be mean to her again. Our only problem is on walks. She has barked at other dogs right from the start but a couple of months ago, a dog jumped over a garden wall and landed on top of her. It didnt mean her any harm, was just being nosy but it really freaked her out. Now, without fail, on all walks she literally screams when she sees another dog be it small, tall, fat, thin, near or far away. Obviously, because of this I cant take the pup out with her as I dont want to instill negative behaviour into the pup. Even taking her out with the other girl is a problem as she too has started acting a little worried when she sees other dogs approaching. People in the area have started crossing the road when they see us as it scares their dogs and kids!!! I take her out on her own at the moment and try very hard to be calm and "in charge" but I must send some vibes of worry to her, I think. I did meet up with a friend and her dog so continued to approach them, unfortunately she lunged at my friends dog and tried to bite her. At the moment, after she screems I make her sit down to let her know that I am in charge but it doesnt seem to be helping her. I am desparate to be able to take all three out together. Feel awful leaving her home. Any advice? Do you think I need to see a dog behaviourist??

She certainly sounds very traumatised by the mishap with this other dog. As she is in a blind panic one minute then when to her is confronted with meeting another dog goes on the attack. It does sound the best option to see a behaviourist for her, have you tried rescue remedy? I found it a great help for my dog and myself after a trauma? have a couple of drop each before you go out ? You never know might work. 

I had a dog like this. She's now fine. You need to NEVER force your dog to meet another, never try to be "in charge", rather give her the opportunity to hide behind your legs or walk away, not having to get too close. If you were scared of snakes, putting you in a room full of snakes wouldn't help -it would only make things worse. It's the same with dogs. :) She needs to learn that she doesn't have to be afraid, because nothing bad will happen again. She tries to bite other dogs because she thinks that the best option is to attack first before she is attacked herself. It's a long and slow process, but it DOES work. You do need to have her out on her own. At first you go nowhere near other dogs, only stay as far away so that she can see them without being worried and without reacting. When she sees another dog and does nothing, even if it is far in the distance, lots of praise and treats. Gradually move closer over a period of time -this can take weeks. Never punish, never tell off if she has a go at another dog, just quietly walk away in the opposite direction. It would help greatly if you had a friend with a calm and reliable dog that you could practice with, and just move closer and closer to, again over a period of time. You don't even have to walk to start with, sitting down somewhere and doing nothing is fine. It's important that she sees that you ignore other dogs and are not worried in any way.

My Ginny was exactly like this when I got her. (She had the other issues you describe as well, like ducking down etc.) She would attack any big dog she saw (and she is just a Papillon), out of fear. She terrorised my mother in law's Labrador so badly she became terrified of Ginny. Ginny would run at her from behind and bite her. We did all the above. It took months, but today I can take Ginny to a training class and have her in a hall full of other dogs, and she doesn't even bark at them. It's nearly a year on now, and if she gets worried I allow her to back away, I never force a meeting, so she knows that she doesn't have to defend herself as I make sure nothing will happen to her. I was lucky that my MIL's Labrador was a calm dog that would never retaliate, and I was able to get my step son to help me -he would have the Labrador on a lead and I would have Ginny and we would just work through everything over time. Sometimes all it meant was sitting down in a chair each with the dogs on a lead, far from each other, not doing anything. Then moving closer and closer, and when Ginny kept calm, rewarding her  a lot.

It's vital that you don't tell her off, force her or try to be firm as this will only make things a lot worse with a nervous dog.

Thank-you for taking so much time explaining all you did. that sounds really good advice. I never scold her. She had enough of that in the past poor girl. i will certainly do as you say. I imagine after all the time you spent trying to sort your dog out, seeing a really good result at the end must be a fantastic feeling. When i take the other two out and leave her on her own, do you think she will be feeling left out?
I think I tend to put human emotions on to dogs sometimes and imagine her "thinking" oh she takes them out for fun and leaves me behind, she musnt like me? Am I being stupid?